Selected to host the Olympic Winter Games in 2018 in Pyeongchang, South Korea is indeed a great destination for winter sports! Check the best Korean ski resorts for the whole family accessible from Seoul for a day trip or more!

There is a multitude of resorts around Seoul and all the Gangwon-do Province. So how to make a choice?

Source: Grace Travel

First of all, if you are advanced skiers familiar with European Alps resorts, don’t expect to find infinite pristine powder-snow-covered ski domains or great off-piste opportunities in Korea. The resorts are much smaller and lower but they are equipped with the latest facilities and still offer lots of fun, especially for ski-beginners. Usually there are rare occasions when you can enjoy natural fresh snow, however the artificial snow is of a very good quality and as the temperatures are pretty stable and cold the snow is not melting or turning to ice at nights.

You can but certainly do not need to bring your own equipment as you will find all you need directly down the slopes. Everything is available for day rent including skiwear from head to toe as well as the sliding equipment itself: shoes, skis and snowboards.

Keep in mind, that week-ends and holidays afternoons are very busy, so it’s always better to try to come to the resort early morning. Most resorts also provide night skiing options generally up to 11PM or Midnight – fun to try too !

Enjoy and have fun!

Source: Phoenix Resort

Ski Resorts Around Seoul

Bears Town Resort is a fair option for a one-day ski and snowboard trip since it’s only about one-hour drive from Seoul. The resort offers a slope exclusively for expert skiers, two slopes for advanced skiers, two slopes for advanced/intermediate skiers, and three slopes for beginners. All slopes are open for snowboarding and there are 8 lifts, including one express lift. The resort is a popular family destination because of its long sledding hill measuring 400 meters in length.

Star Hill Resort located only 32 km from Seoul is another great option for one-day trip. This small, cozy resort nestled in the foothills has well-developed facilities and a convenient location that made it popular for visitors from Seoul and the nearby metropolitan areas.

Konjiam Resort is the largest ski resort in the Seoul vicinity and is the first resort in Korea to limit the number of skiers per day to 7,000. The Konjiam Resort has eleven double-width slopes for beginner and intermediate skiers and snowboarders.

Jisan Forest Resort is located 56 kilometers from Hannam Bridge. There are seven main ski slopes and 3 sub-slopes, all of which are open to both skiers and snowboarders. Thanks to the 5 high-speed lifts, there is no waiting in line, and there is even an escalator for children and beginners.

Yangji Pine Resort Ski Valley is an all-season recreational complex located in the magnificent Dokjosan Mountain in Gyeonggi-do Province. It offers a sledding hill, 6 ski lifts, and 10 slopes of varying levels of difficulty.

Source: Your Korean Adventure

Ski Resorts in Gangwon-do Province

Yongpyong is the biggest ski and snowboard resort in Korea. It is great resort for every kind of skier. With 28 slopes – spread across beginner, intermediate, advanced and expert levels Yongpyong resort offers the best variety. Among the various slopes, the Rainbow, Gold and Mega Green slopes are the most popular, and cover most of the three mountains overlooking the resort, which is about three hours’ drive from Seoul.

Alpensia is a perfect family-friendly resort located just five minutes of drive from Yongpyong. In addition to its 6 different slopes (including one reserved exclusively for snowboarders) the resort employs a high-speed lift system that can transport 2,400-3,000 skiers an hour.

Daemyung Vivaldi Park Ski World was the first ski resort in Korea to offer nighttime skiing. It has become a favorite among young skiers in their teens and twenties.

Welli Hilli Park is located t is about 1 hour and 30 minutes away from Seoul in a region that often experiences heavy snow, making for great skiing conditions. It has a total of 19 slopes.

Located in one of the most pristine regions of Gangwon-do Province, High 1 Resort offers 18 fantastic slopes each beginning at one of three peaks. For beginners, there is a 4.2 kilometer-long gently-sloping course that starts from 1,345 meters above sea level.

Elysian Gangchon is easily accessible from Seoul. Take the Gyeongchun Railway Line from Sangbong Station to Baegyang-ri (Elysian Gangchon) Station and you’ll find yourself walking through the doors of the resort in roughly an hour. The ski resort has 6 lifts, snowboarding facilities, and 10 slopes for beginner, intermediate, and advanced skiers.

Located in beautiful surroundings, Oak Valley Snow Park offers two beginner, five intermediate, and two advanced level courses. It is a small cozy and family friendly resort.

The O2 Ski Resort has a particularly good location in Taebaek City, Gangwon Province, which not only receives the first snowfall in Korea, but also has the longest snow season. Even beginners can enjoy the 3.2km long course, which stretches all the way from the peak (1,420m high) to the base of the mountain.

3 thoughts on “Best Ski resorts from Seoul”

Thank you for a very useful article. I have a question: do you know which resorts offer discounts for foreigners or military? I found Yangji Pine offers a 40% discount for military and 30% for foreigners. I skied half day last week for 30,000 W.

Thanks so much for your kind words on this blog! We’re making our best to provide useful content for all Seoul’s lovers… so we are very happy with your congratulations ^^
Not sure about extra discounts for military or foreigners. You shall probably ask for it at the ticket desks. In all cases, most ski resorts apply various discounts on birthdays, night skiing, groups and particularly for specific branded credit card holders (e.g. Samsung, Shinhan, Lotte, … cards). Usually discount of up to 30-50% might apply on ski lifts and rentals. Enjoy!